From the state of the art, this method has been used for connecting a device into a support structure, and particularly to install an electronic device (e.g. a radio, a CD reader or a GPS component) into the housing of a vehicle for connecting it to an electrical wiring network of the vehicle.
FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a connecting system arranged for implementing this method. This connecting system comprises on the one hand said electrical or electronic device 8 and on the other hand a support structure 9 lodged in the housing (the latter being not shown).
The support structure 9 is designed for receiving the device 8 and for connecting it to an external electrical network 30. Especially, it comprises a dashboard 15 defining an entrance 16 for the introduction of the device 8 into the support structure 9. The support structure 9 further comprises lateral guiding girders 14 extending from the back of the dashboard 15, along the length of the housing, that are designed for guiding the device 8 into the support structure (when the user pushes the device) until the bottom part of the support structure 9. This bottom part is constituted by a frame 13 fixed at the ends of the girders 14. The frame 13 comprises a connector receptacle 12 able to receive on one side an external electrical network 30 of the vehicle and on the other side the pin header 21 provided at the back side of the device 8. When the device is entirely housed in the support structure 9, the pins of the header 21 are then connected to the external electrical network 30. Optionally, fixing means are provided for fixing the front part of the device 8 to the dashboard 15.
Thus, both the housing of the device 8 in the support structure 9 of the vehicle and the connection of this device to the external electrical network 30 of the vehicle are ensured by simply pushing the device 8 along the plugging direction (the X-axis in FIG. 1).
Now, the dimensions of the housing can vary according to the type of the vehicle.
Additionally, the dimensions of the devices can vary from a manufacturer to another one.
Then, it would be desirable to have a connector assembly that can accept a certain tolerance in the dimension of the housing and/or of the device.
It is known to find this kind of tolerance in the (YZ) plane by allowing a slight floating and/or rotation of the guiding girders with respect to the bottom frame.
Regarding the X-axis tolerance, it is known to add a spring whose compression ensures the force required for connecting the pin headers to the wiring harness. As the connector has to accommodate certain tolerances in the X-axis, the compression rate of the spring is chosen more or less high, depending on these tolerances.
A disadvantage of this connector assembly is that the spring force has always to be greater than the connexion force. The effort supplied by the operator is therefore equal to the connexion force plus an important margin that takes account of the tolerances. The assembly is further difficult to do because the connexion effort has to be maintained until the installation is completed. The conjunction of the spring with the mass of the connector might further create vibrations.
In view of the foregoing it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connector assembly able to compensate for positional tolerances, and especially for compensated tolerance in the X-axis.